Merry Christmas Eve!!
I feel like everyone is still processing 2020 (including me), but 2021 has already flown by. This is the first year I can remember that I spent the majority of my months outside of school (I graduated college in May). So most of the books I read this year I read of my own accord and for recreation.Ā
If you want a complete list of what I read this year, I will include it at the bottom of this post. Of that list, only the Renaissance selections, The Aeneid, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, and the first book of the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring were read for a class.Ā
I also reread a lot of books this year. Some books I read before I learned how to actually form an opinion of a book. I never used to think critically of a text; I enjoyed most everything I read, and that was that. So this year I reread A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, all seven of Jane Austenās complete novels (although two of them were new to me), and the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. All of them are among my favorites of this year. A lot of the books/poetry I read for class were rereads as well, but I donāt really count those as purposeful rereads.Ā
Now as for the rankings! If I donāt rank some books, itās because they fell in the middle of the road. But if you want to see a complete review of any of these books, I have it linked, or you can go to my Goodreads.Ā
Favorites (not necessarily in order):Ā
- lyrical writing
- beautiful ode to storytelling
- a masterpiece
Jane Austenās Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice:
- my favorites of Jane Austen
- will never get old
- feel-good reads
- masterful flow
- incredible character depth
- Iām still kind of in love with Levin
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway:
- thought-provoking writing-style
- lovely sarcasm
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Part 1):
- captivating descriptions
- seamless character development
- (This book is not broken up in parts except by my own volition. Youāll see why)
The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare:
- heartbreaking romance
- three protagonists that each tug on your heartstrings
Shakespeareās and John Donneās sonnets:
- the best poetry of all time
- thought-provoking
- good for analysis
- some are kinda risque
Cul-de-sac Angels by Michelle Emily Garcia:
- distinct and new voice
- beautiful flow and rhythm
- language mastery
Biggest disappointments:Ā
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid:
- worst book I read all year
- dull writing
- no character development
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon:
- did not finish
- didnāt invest me at all
The Memories We Keep by Walter Zacharius:
- amateurish writing
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare:
- inappropriate
- creepy
- bad writing
- no plot
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Part 2):
- too long
- preachy
- black-and-white characters
Overall, it was a good year of reading. Had more Favorites than I did Disappointments, but thatās usually the case for me. How was your bookish year?
All of the Books I Read in 2021:
Currently Reading: War and Peace by Leo TolstoyĀ *this will count as a 2022 read as Iām not even halfway done
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
The Memories We Keep by Walter Zacharius
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
All of Jane Austenās novels:Ā
Emma
Northanger Abbey
Mansfield Park
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Lady Susan
Persuasion
The Shadowhunter books by Cassandra Clare:Ā
Clockwork Angel
Clockwork PrinceĀ
Clockwork Princess
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls
City of Heavenly Fire
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Cul-de-sac Angels by Michelle Emily Garcia
Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali by D.T. Niane
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
Random selections of Renaissance Literature, for example:Ā
Utopia by Thomas MoreĀ
Poetry of Wyatt, Surrey, Sidney
Shakespeareās and John Donneās sonnets
Dr. Faustus by Marlowe
The Duchess of Malfi by Webster
Poetry of Mary Wroth, Herrick, Lovelace, Philips, Marvell, Margaret Cavendish
Paradise Lost by Milton
